Why is information management so important?
Information management in the current age is not what it was decades ago. Where information management formerly referred to the realm of mere records management; that is, files and documents, their storage, destruction and general maintenance, today’s information management refers to something much broader.
We may think of information management as a cycle that starts from the advent of an idea, and the journey it takes being plotted onto paper or screen, copied, distributed, stored, retrieved, and ultimately destroyed. Information management is no longer a process which can be completed by an in-house team – often it takes hundreds of outsourced information management professionals to get the job done properly.
Online security and data theft are becoming increasing concerns to modern companies, and the solution rests with attaining an impenetrable data management system, in conjunction with the offsite services of a professional information management team. Today’s information management companies boast state of the art encryption and digital data management and protection, as well as highly secured, weatherproof vaults, which are monitored 24/7, on a regularly patrolled premises with biometric access restrictions. Though perhaps over-vigilent, these are the methods of information management which are a day-to-day necessity for many respectable businesses in Australia.
As an industry, information management is becoming a greater burden on not only companies, but the environment as well. Conscientious information management companies can ensure that all services are done in environmentally friendly methods. For example, when information management companies perform data destruction, the destroyed documents are recycled. Today’s information management companies also use mobile data destruction trucks, which are equipped with exhaust after-treatment systems which include a diesel particular filter – trapping foot from the engine exhaust and reducing the pollutants released into the our air.
The need for excellent information management in Australia is still in its youth. In countries such as the UK and USA, where businesses face the regular threat of data loss from natural disasters such as volcanoes, blizzards and earthquakes, information management is an indispensable priority. In Australia, our biggest natural threats to business data are bushfires, floods, and cyclones. Our geographic location lessens the urgency of quality information management in this country, however smart businesses know not to gamble with critical or sensitive information by entirely avoiding information management.